This exhaustively documented 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Sport Convertible, freshly restored over the course of the last decade and one of but two survivors of similar design, has never been shown at Concours level, and that means bidders are likely to drive the price well above $2 million USD.
Talbot Lago is responsible for some of the most beautiful motorcars in history. The marque arose from the failure of the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq combine in 1935, and it was then that Major A F ‘Tony’ Lago purchase the Darracq factory to continue production.
Lago sold his fabulous designs as Darracqs in the UK and as Talbots in France, and the stunning results embraced both sports car enthusiasts markets and Grand Prix racing. His spectacular vehicles took wins in the French Grand Prix and the Tourist Trophy in 1937 to cement their legacy.
After a period of struggle taking on brutal opposition from German and Italian foes, Lago again notched post-war success which included three Grand Prix wins with French Champion Louis Rosier at the wheel and a victory at Le Mans.
Powered by a beautiful and efficient 4,482cc, twin-cam six-cylinder fed by three Zenith-Stromberg Carburetors, this T26 managed to generate 190bhp at 4,200rpm. The power was applied to the tarmac via a four-speed Wilson Pre-Selector Transmission. The T26 also featured an independent front suspension and a live rear axle.
But it was the innovative six-cylinder engines – designed by Walter Becchia – and featuring inclined overhead valves set in hemispherical combustion chambers that made the T26 a force to be reckoned with and the 4.0-liter Lago Special produced 165bhp and achieved speeds north of 100mph (160km/h). These ‘Talbot Lago’ cars with the Becchia engine performed in Grand Prix cars both before, and after, WWII.
When married with the sleek beauty of Figoni et Falaschi coachwork, Talbot-Lagos were among the most sought-after cars from the 1920s on through to the late 1940s. The T26 with its exquisitely wrought lines set a standard of automotive beauty that survives to this very day.
And the next owner of this magnificent vehicle can rest assured of the authenticity of this example as historian and author Peter Larsen was responsible for compiling an exhaustive set of documentation on the history of this car.
This sublime example of the Talbot-Lago marque is being offered at auction by Bonhams at the Quail Lodge Auction on 13 Aug 2021 at Carmel, Quail Lodge & Golf Club.